Appeals to the grassroots: NY-20, IL-05.

NY-20: The recount for this race – which is actually at plus 25 right now, not plus 57 – is going to be expensive. There’s a new pledge drive up to pay for that recount, in the same style as the one that gathered over 120K for Jim Tedisco: I encourage people to help out there, or where they can. It’s already at 9K (the target number is 40K), which tells you that there are people out there who share your concerns about the potential for abuse of the recount – to say nothing of the absentee ballot count. We’re in a good place to take a seat away from the Democrats, here; one that progressives are annoyed to have had to fund (military-hating opponents of the death penalty for terrorists are ‘centrist’ to that sort, you see). Think of it as a civic obligation.

IL-05: On a more ideological/idealistic level, though, it doesn’t get any better than Rosanna Pulido‘s campaign. As the below video shows, she’s fighting in a heavily-Democratic district against a guy with the full support of the state Democratic party apparatus, with no equivalent support from her own party… Continue reading Appeals to the grassroots: NY-20, IL-05.

Recap of the NY-20 race.

  1. Scott Murphy (D) is ahead by 65 votes. Nobody’s calling this race just yet.
  2. There are somewhere between six and ten thousand absentee ballots that need to be counted.
  3. They’re not being counted tonight. They’re not being counted for another week. (Via AoSHQ) You see, we do, in fact, actually learn from our mistakes.
  4. The deadline for overseas absentee ballots is actually April 13th.
  5. All that being said, just because we haven’t lost yet doesn’t mean that we’ve won, either. Don’t assume that the absentee ballots are going to flip this race dramatically.
  6. If you still have nervous energy to work off, Rosanna Pulido (the candidate for IL-05) would love your help.

I believe that covers it. So everybody have a bite to eat, or something.

Crossposted to RedState.

NY-20 update: an endorsement and a removal.

The New York Post has announced for Tedisco, citing his experience over Scott Murphy, Tedisco’s better ideological fit to this district, Tedisco’s record of fiscal restraint, and – interestingly – Murphy’s refusal to support the death penalty for even 9/11 terrorists. And in other news, the Libertarian candidate has been disqualified for the second election cycle running from being on the ballot. Problems with the signatures, again*.

Homestretch time, folks. As you can see below, Tedisco’s enjoying considerable online grassroot support (he seems set to pass 100K collected online without any trouble), but Jim Geraghty reports that the polls are tight. This isn’t the time to slow down.

Moe Lane

*Yes, the President endorsed Murphy. Imagine my shock. Also imagine my shock that the President has no intention of stumping for a candidate in a race that isn’t self-evidently in the bag for the Democrat already.

Crossposted to RedState.

There’s a week to go until NY-20.

They had a debate last night, where Tedisco hit Murphy over the ‘stimulus’ bill that the former opposes and the latter supports. Congressional Democrats are hungry for this race, no matter that Obama/DNC (I repeat myself) don’t want to get involved.

contribute:

We’re making the Democratic Party spend money on a race that their own ideology says that they should be winning handily, and they’re losing it anyway. Now is the time to keep pushing this.

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

Poughkeepsie Journal endorses Jim Tedisco (R Cand, NY-20) for Congress.

The Poughkeepsie Journalwhich endorsed Obama for President – has endorsed Jim Tedisco for next week’s special election:

The 20th Congressional District seat – which includes much of northern Dutchess County – has been without a representative for about two months now. In many ways, this could not have come at a worse time. With the economy teetering, Congress has been moving at a fever-pitch pace to make critically important and highly expensive decisions that would have far-reaching ramifications.

The district needs someone to jump right in and make a difference, and veteran state lawmaker James Tedisco has those abilities. District voters should give him the opportunity to serve.

Tedisco has considerably more experience than his opponent, Democrat Scott Murphy, who has never sought office before.

There is at least one misstatement in the endorsement, however: Tedisco is against the stimulus. Nonetheless, good news.

contribute:


Crossposted to RedState.

Scott Murphy (D Cand, NY-20): ‘One of them.’

Jim Tedisco reminds us that Murphy may have an inclination towards giving bonuses to companies losing money…

…although that may not be an entirely fair comparison. After all, back then Murphy’s bonus scheme didn’t involve your money. I wonder if he’s still for passing that miscalled “stimulus” bill – Tedisco is on the record as opposing it, mind you – and I wonder if Murphy is going to comment on his stance on the AIG payoffs further. Or at all, really.

contribute:

Moe Lane

Crossposted to RedState.

NDCF Chair condemns Scott Murphy’s anti-military stance.

It stands for the National Defense Council Foundation…

…and it’s a NGO defense-oriented conservative think-tank that’s been calling for the conversion of American transportation to alternative fuels since at least 2003. Its chairman, retired military veteran James Martin, writes:

On behalf of NDCF supporters who proudly represent all branches of the military, it strikes me that Mr. Murphy’s writings at his alma mater, Harvard University, when he was editor of a university magazine, Perspective, do not jibe with the majority views of the people of the 20th Congressional District of New York.

Murphy apparently co-authored an editorial critical of the military and questioned its longstanding traditions and structure. In the same editorial, Murphy railed against having ROTC outposts on college campuses, “Bringing ROTC on campus is not the best way of helping the economically disadvantaged.” (Perspective, Summer 1989).

His attacks on our nation’s military demonstrate just how out-of-touch he is. This is the same District that was once served by the late Republican Congressman, Jerry Solomon.

First off, Jim Tedisco. Republican. Running for the seat. Doesn’t hate the military. Donate here.

Continue reading NDCF Chair condemns Scott Murphy’s anti-military stance.

Does NY-20’s Scott Murphy (D) still think that the military’s a bunch of racists?

Do not blame me for the fact that he is on the record with this.

(H/T: Hot Air) That’s a serious question, because he signed his name to an article saying precisely that back in college. The quote goes:

The military not only discriminates on the basis of sexual preference, but on the basis of sex and race. Women are not allowed to serve in combat even if they are physically superior to males who do serve in combat. And, while there are not explicit rules discriminating against minorities, the Congressional Black Caucus has found that “racism has become institutionalized at all levels of the military. Black and other minority service men are victims of discrimination from the time that they enter the services until the time that they are discharged.” Will Harvard choose to ignore this discrimination?

Murphy went on to declare that military values – which he proceeded to get wrong, as only a liberal Democratic Ivy League student can – are directly contradictory to those of Harvard University, or at least the Harvard University of twenty years ago. I would like to say that Harvard’s grown up a little since then, but it’d be a lie. Still, I’d like to know: has Murphy?

Moe Lane

PS: Jazz Shaw has more; so does this site, even if they can’t get the name of the NRCC right. But one of their commenters noted that parts of this district were once Gerald Solomon’s (I think), so that works out. And, of course, see also Erick’s post on the subject.

PPS: Jim Tedisco. Republican. Running for the seat. Doesn’t hate the military. Donate here.

Crossposted to RedState.